Extension-table.



E. L. MARSTON.

EXTENSION TABLE.

'APPLICATION FILED DEc.21.191o.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Em/@Mw ---ill u s if Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

E. L. MARSTON. EXTENSION'TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED neem, 1910.

CQLUMEM PLANoaRAPH CO.. WASHINGTON. D. cA

EDGAR L. MARSTON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES J. BROWN, r0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXTENSION-TABLE.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, i915.

Application tiled Eecember 21, 1910. Serial No. 598,629.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, EDGAR L. MARs'roN, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in EX- tension-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to extension tables of the type which comprises a base and a sectional top of which the sections may be separated edgewise, more or less, for the insertion of intermediate leaves. The sections of the top are connected byl telescoping slide members which are provided with complemental tongues and grooves, the slide members being arranged upon the base to connect the base with each of the top sections and being adapted to preserve the alinement of the top sections, and also to support such leaves as may be interposed between the top sections. The two top sections are permanently though detachably connected by the telescoping slide members, as distinguished from the temporary connection of the interposed leaves. W'hen the two permanent top sections are separated edgewise vto provide a space for intermediate leaves, the connecting slide members slide longitudinallyT with relation to each other. Hitherto it has been customary to assemble and detach the top sections with relation to the base by moving them edgewise, the several'slide members being adapted to provide for this method of assembling and detaching. In tables of this kind it is customary to provide safety stops for preventing detachment of the slide members one with relation to another when the table top is extended to the limit. @ne or more devices for this purpose are in use, but these devices are adapted to be rendered inoperative so that the top sections may, if desired, be detached by relative edgewise movement.

@ne object of the present invention is to prevent under all circumstances detachment of the top sections by relative edgewise movement and to construct and arrange the slide members so that the top sections may be assembled and detached only by movement perpendicular to the plane of the table. This object of the present invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings Vis carried out by providing relatively short tongues and relatively long grooves in complemental slide members, and by providing lateral openings communicating with the grooves of the slide members through which openings the tongues of the complemental slide members may be passed, the slide members being adapted, by reason of structure or arrangement, to prevent detachment of the top sections by edgewise movement.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of means independent of the slide members, for limiting the edgewise movement of the top sections. This feature of the invention is embodied in a stop member and an abutment, one of said elements being on the base, and the other being on a top section, and the same structure being duplicated for the other top section. The stops and shoulders are arranged to prevent the top section from assuming the preliminary positions from which they may be detached as hereinbefore explained. These stops are adapted to be rendered inoperative so that the top sections may, if desired, be moved to the preliminary position from which they may be detached. The preferred arrangement of the stops is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is such that when either of the top sections is moved toward the other the movement is arrested when the inner edge of the section registers with the center of the base. The stops therefore serve not only toprevent'the top sections from moving to the preliminary position from which they may be detached, but 4 they serve the additional purpose of positioning each topsection with relation to the base when the topV is closed. In order to detach a top section from the base it is therefore necessary to first retract the other section, then render inoperative the appropriate stop, Athen slide the top section across the center of the base toward the retracted section, then detach by lifting the top section away from the base.

The features hereinbefore stated are adapted to be applied vto an extension table quite regardless of whether the base or pedestal does or does not comprise complemental separable parts. In other words, the eXtensible top with the features hereinbefore 4stated may be applied to a unitary base or pedestal or an extensible base or pedestal.

The terms base and pedestal as used in the present specification are not intended to refer. to the same element.' The term" base is used to designate the structure upon which the slide members are directly mounted, quite'regardless of whether the base is or is not provided with a so-called pedestal.

Of the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which the invention may be embodied: Figure 1 represents a top plan View of an extension table of which the permanent top sections are separated edge- Wise. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the table, which in this figure is closed. Fig. 3 represents ahorizontal section, looking down from the plane indicatedby line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a slide elevation of one of the grooved slide members.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

The table herein illustrated comprises a top including two so-called permanent sec` tions 10 and 10', slide members hereinafter described in` detail, a base including two complemental sections 11 and 11, a pedestalv including two complemental sections 12 and 12', and legs 18 affixed to the pedestal sections. rThe base members V11 and 11 Lare affixed respectively upon thetop of the ped.- estal members 12 and 12.

F-ig. 2 shows the two pedestal members providedlwith complemental locking members 14 and 15 whereby they may be held in closed relation, and a manually-operative memberll whereby the .member 15 may be koperated to lock or unlock the sections.

This locking mechanism forms noV part of ther present invention and does not require any further description.

VThe slide members include two sets, one at either side of the table, the two sets being identical in construction but reversed as to arrangement. Each of the said sets includes four slide members, indicated respectively at 17, 18, 19 and 20. The yslides 17 and 18 are connected one with the other, the confronting faces of said members .being yprovided with longitudinal grooves 17 .and 18. Each of said slide members is provided with a tonguevadapted to'slide in the groove of the other member, saidtongues being indicated at 17X and18x. rllhe tongues are relatively `short and arevarranged at opposite ends of the slide members, each being adapted to act as a stop for the other when the slide members are extended.

. The slide member 17 is connected in slidi ing relation with the slide 19, and in the same way the slide 18 is connected in sliding relation with the slide 20. The confronting facesiof the slides 17 and 19 are provided with grooves 17a and 19a, and each of said slide members is provided with a tongue adapted to lslide in the groove of the. other member. The tongues are indicated at 17b vand 19t. These tongues are also relatively short and each is adapted to act as a stop for the other when the slides are extended longitudinally as shown by Fig. 8. lt may be here stated that although the plane of the section of Fig. 3 is indicated on Fig. 2, the relative positions of the slides correspond with those of Fig. 1 but not with those of Fig. 2.

The confronting faces of the slides 18 and 2O are provided with grooves 18 and 20u, and said slides are provided with tongues 181 and 20h each adapted to slide in the groove of the other member. These tongues are also relatively short and are in all respects similar to the tongues 17b and 19h.

. rlhe slide 18 is illustrated in detail by Fig. 4. In this ligure the tongue 18b is represented as being a separate piece attached to the slide member. So far as the present invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether tongue 18b is an integral part of the slide member or whether it is attached, but for convenience in manufacture it 1s preferable to form the groove 18a throughout the entire length of the slide member and thereafter to afiX the tongue 18". leferring now to the same elements in Fig. 8, it will be observed that the tongue 18" is represented as an integral part of the slide 18. This is structurally inconsistent with the showing in Fig. 4, and the only purpose of representing integral construction in Fig. 3 is to simplify the drawing and facilitate an understanding.

All of the tongues and grooves may be dovetailed or otherwise undercut, or may be rectangular in cross section. 1f dovetailed, all the slide members of one set will be in terlocked with each other without dependence upon those of the other set, but the slide members of the two sets are oppositely would be held in coperative relation by the 1 slides of the other set, even if the tongues and grooves were all rectangular in cross section.

The slide members 17 are cut away as indicated at 21, and the slide members 18 are likewise cut away as indicated at 22. (See Figs. l and 4). rlhe portions so cut awayY leave openings in the upper faces of the slide members, said openings communicating with the grooves. These openings are substantially the same length as the tongues 19b and 20b and are adapted to permit the passage of the tongues perpendicularly with relation to the plane of the table. The under sides of the slides 19 and 2O are out away as indicated at 21l and 22a respectively, so as to permit insertion and removal of the tongues 17b and 18b when the top sections are attached or detached. Referring to Fig. 1, the top section 10 may be detached by first advancing it toward the top section 10 far enough to cause the tongues 19b and 17b to register with the perpendicular openings 21 and 21a respectively. From this preliminary position the top section 1() may be lifted away from the rest of the table, thus passing the tongues 19b and 17b through the openings 21 and 21a. The top section 10 may be removed in similar fashion by first advancing it so as to cause the tongues 20" and 18b to register with the perpendicularvopenings 22 and 22a. The top section 10 with its slide members 2O may then be lifted away from the other parts of the table, the tongues 20 and 18b passing through the openings 22 and Q2.

T he drawings illustrate coactive stop members mounted respectively upon the base and each stop section for limiting the sliding movement of the top section. As shown by Fig. 2, the stop member 23 is pivotally mounted upon a holder 24, the pivot being indicated at 25. The holder is affixed to the base section 11. The top section 10 is provided with an abutment which is adapted to y engage the stop member. The abutment, as shown by the drawing, is alforded by an angle-plate 26 affixed to the under side of the top section. A spring 27 is provided for normally elevating the stop member so as to hold it in operative position in the path of the plate 26. The stop member and plate are so arranged as to coperate when the inner edge of the top section is midway with relation to the base. The stop member in no way prevents movement of the top section away from the complemental top section for the purpose of opening a gap to receive detachable leaves, but it limits the closing movement of the top section with relation to its respective base section. A similar stop member 23 is mounted upon the complemental base section 11 (see Figs. 1 and 3), and the top section 10 is provided with a plate 26'/ which affords an abutment adapted to coperate with the stop member 23. The members 23 and 26 have the same relative arrangement as the members 23 and 26, but they are arranged in different longitudinal vertical planes on opposite sides of the longitudinal central line of the table.

When the top sections are moved toward each other, each is positioned by its stop member with relation to its base section so that its inner or dividing facewill stand in the plane of the inner or dividing face of the related pedestal section. After one of the top sections is retracted for the purpose of permitting detachment of the other top section, it is necessary to depress the stop member of the section to be detached, sui-liciently to free the plate 26. Each stop member is provided with a nose 28 which projects across the transverse central plane of the base in a position where it is exposed to view, and is adapted to be depressed by a finger when the opposite top section is retracted.

As shown by Fig. 1, the top section 10 is provided with a plate 30, and the top section 10l is provided with a hook 31. The plate and hook are both attached to the under sides of their respective top sections, and the hook 31 is adapted to be moved to engage the plate 30 when the top sections are closed, for the purpose of locking them in closed relation. lThis device does not form any part of the present invention and requires no further description.

I claim:

1. An extension table comprising top sections movable edgewise toward and from each other, and cooperative slide members connecting said sections, said slide members having interlocking sliding portions extending throughout the range of extension movement of said sections, said interlocking portions for one of said sections being arranged to be detached, one from another, by relative movement from a position beyond said range.

2. An extension table comprising top sections movable edgewise toward and from each other, and cooperative slide members connecting said sections, said slide members having cooperative tongue and groove portions extending throughout the range of eX- tension movement of said sections and arranged to maintain interlocking relation throughout said range, said groove portions having openings beyond said range to admit and discharge said tongue portions in lines transverse to the plane of said sections.

3. An extension table comprising, in combination, a pedestal; main top sections supported thereby; a set of slides connecting each of said top sections to said pedestal, a slide of each set being secured to a top section and a slide of each set being secured to the pedestal; and means detachably connecting said slides comprising a guideway and follower for the face of a pedestal slide and a guideway and follower for the opposed face of a top section slide, said followers being arranged for tra-vel along said guideways and the latter having provision permitting the escape of said followers from said guideways on adjustment of the top section slide in a substantially vertical plane transversely to the length of the pedestal slide when vthe slides are in a predetermined relation.

4. An extension table comprising, in com bination, a pedestal; main top sections supported thereby; a set of relatively eXtensible slides connecting each of the top sections to said pedestal; and means detachably connecting slides of a set comprising cooperating followers and guide-way means,

said guide-Way means having portions for receiving said followers, one of the latter .being located and arranged for introduction to and removal from one of said portions, and theyoth'er of said followers being located and arranged for introduction to and removal from the other portion on adjustment of one slide in a substantially vertical pla-ne transversely to the length of theother slide when the slides are in pre-determined relation.

5.` An extension table comprising top sections movable edgewise toward and from each other, coperative slide members connecting said sections, and stops arranged toy limit the'closing movement of said sections,

i n mensen said slide members having cooperative interlocking portions extending throughout the range of extension movement, said interlocking 'portions being arranged to be detached from their respective companions by movement transverse to the plane of said sections from a position beyond said range, said stops being movable to enable their respective top sections to move edgewise to 'sa-id position beyond said range.

Bln testimony whereof I have afliXed my (signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR L. MARSTON. Witnesses:

W. P. ABELL, JOHN E. PovnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fdr ive cents each, `by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. 110'. 

